Confessions Allowed

This column provided by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is aimed at publishing summaries of all CCJ decisions in an effort to educate the public about the activities of the Court. The summaries are written by law students from across the Caribbean, providing them with an avenue to hone and develop their writing skills. The CCJ Corner is expected to play a key role in facilitating the achievement of the Court’s mandate to deepen the regional integration process, develop Caribbean jurisprudence and ensure respect for the rule of law throughout the Caribbean.

By Monique Scott, Norman Manley Law School

In the case of Julian Francis v The Queen the CCJ had to referee a frequent battle in criminal trials over the use of confessions to prove guilt. In this battle, Francis was convicted and sentenced to 6 years imprisonment for stealing a motor car where the prosecution’s case hinged on two confessions made to the police; one written and one oral.

On appeal, Francis argued that it was wrong for the court to have allowed the confessions to be admitted into evidence. However, the